The Context(ualization) of Art in Non-Literate Societies: Armenian Middle Bronze Age Images and Animal Bones (original) (raw)

A Monumental Horse Burial in the Armenian Highlands

Archaeology, Ethnology & Anthropology of Eurasia, 2021

Here we report on the unprecedented discovery of the complete skeleton of a ritually interred adult stallion with a bronze ring in its mouth. The horse was buried in a unique 15-meters diameter monumental stone-built tomb excavated in the Aghavnatun necropolis located on the southern slopes of Mt. Aragats, in the northern fringes of the Ararat Depression, Republic of Armenia. The tumulus was roughly circular; the horse’s remains were found in situ, in an inner oval-shaped structure. Our methodological procedure included a detailed description of the burial, a taphonomic study of the bones, and meticulous morphometric observations and measurements, and thus we could provide a taxonomic defi nition and an age estimate. Direct radiometric dating of the horse’s skeleton provided a date of 2130±20 BP. The morphological characteristics of the horse, with its tall stature and slender feet, suggest that it was a large individual, similar to the extinct breed of Nisean horse previously known mainly from textual and iconographical sources. The metal ring found in the mouth of the horse suggests that it likely served as a breeding stallion. This discovery presents a unique combination of zooarchaeological evidence for the importance of the horse in the Parthian-Hellenistic worlds, and advances our understanding of the broad social signifi cance of the past breeding of equids in the Armenian Highlands.

The Sogdian horseman: visual representation of a hunting scene in pre-modern Central Asia and Iran

Silver dishes from pre-modern Near East are not unique. Yet, their iconography is sometimes puzzling and may be easily misinterpreted. In this paper, I analyze the reasons for such misinterpretation drawing upon western art historian methodologies and Russian theories of iconology and suggest a probabilistic approach to deconstruction, interpretation and attribution of the elements of the image to a particular style, period, and place. The silver dish to which this analysis is applied came from the crossroads of Near Eastern cultures and represents a hunting scene. I suggest that unlike in mathematics, the simplest explanation is not always the best. The analysis of an art object should take into consideration the long and arduous road leading to its inception: the multitude of the external influences exerted on the creator, and the observer, of the art piece and their corresponding context.

Royal tombs with horse sacrifices in Nerkin Naver, Armenia (middle bronze age)

abstract since 2002 ongoing excavations have been taking place at the site of Nerkin Naver, a grave field with several kurgans or tombs, about 30 km to the west of yerevan, capital of the Republic of armenia. a series of tombs (N1 to N7) contained a large variety of archaeological artefacts , evidencing the high status of the persons that were buried in the tombs. the tombs were dated to the 23rd–18th century bc and bones of sacrificed horses were found in graves N1, N3 and N5b. subsequent excavations of other tombs revealed the burial of a human and the carcass of a complete horse in tomb N9. according to the accompanying artefacts, including flint blades, obsidian arrow-points, ceramic shards with a black surface and a red interior (therefore contemporary to the shengavitian or Kura-araxes culture), two vessels with dotted ornament and encrusted with white paste, a golden disk, etc, this tomb was built in the early bronze age iii (first half of the third millennium bc) or the very beginning of the middle bronze age. an osteometrical and osteomorphological study was carried out on the horse skeleton of tomb N9 and showed that this female individual with a shoulder height of about 144 cm can be considered as a medium-large horse (according to vitt's classification) with semi-thick legs. based on the metrical comparison with data of other archaeological horses from armenia and beyond, and with data of Prezwalskii horses, the Nerkin Naver horse was identified as a domestic horse. Given the archaeological context, this is one of the oldest horse sacrifices known to us so far in armenia.

Image of a Horse in Rock Art of Medieval Kazakhstan

2014

This article covers the area of knowledge at the intersection of two disciplines: archeology and art history, based on archaeological evidence, which carries the information of the traditional culture of the early medieval population of Kazakhstan. Summarized the accumulated material in the image of a horse in the early medieval rock art found in Kazakhstan and chronological, stylistic and compositional originality of the image are considered. The methodological basis of the study is set general historical and archaeological research methods. Images of a horse can be divided into several groups, which have not only typological similarities in the image, but also provide an opportunity to make some conclusions about the role of the image of a horse in the views of the medieval nomads.

ANIMAL FIGURINES DURING THE EARLY BRONZE AGE OF ANATOLIA: THE CASE OF KOÇUMBELİ

2019

his thesis aims to understand the use of animal figurines at the Early Bronze Age site of Koçumbeli in social context. In order to achieve this aim, 20 animal figurines from Koçumbeli have been examined in terms of their thematic representations, raw materials, production technique, color, breakage as well as their contexts. Thematic evaluations focus on the animals depicted and their sex and age, while the contextual evaluations focus on the spatiality of animal figurines in relation to domestic and burial contexts. Following this, where possible through the publications, the animal figurines discovered at other EBA sites of Anatolia are evaluated in similar terms, in an attempt to achieve a better understanding of the figurines under consideration. The thematic findings indicate that horned animals are particularly emphasized both within the corpus of Koçumbeli and other sites. Besides these, other animals can be found within the assemblages. The contextual evaluations suggest that the clay animal figurines are generally associated with domestic contexts whereas the metal figurines are associated with elite burial contexts. Based on an evaluation of these findings against the subsistence economy of the time period as well as the development of animal imagery during the prehistory of Anatolia, it is suggested that animal figurines mediate a negotiation of social identity and prestige of individuals and families with reference to beliefs and rituals of social regeneration. Their specialized production in metals and association with elite burials should be placed in context of the emerging centralization processes during EBA in Anatolia.

Anthropomorphic Images on the Bronze Belts from the Caucasus in the Early Iron Age

European Association of Archaeologists, 24th Annual Meeting (Barcelona, 2018) – Abstract Book, 2018

During the Early Iron Age bronze belts with anthropomorphic images appear in the North and South Caucasus. These depictions are very rare. Two such belts were found in the Tli burial site in Ossetia. From the burial no. 76 originates a belt with depictions of two anthropomorphic figures. Based on a series of features, including the specific form of the composite Scythian bow and a severed human head hanging from the horse’s bridle, V.A.Il’inskaia and A.I.Terenozhkin identify these depictions with the Scythians of the Northern Black Sea region. A bronze belt with the depictions of two anthropomorphic figures originate from a stone box grave in the Dashkasan region of Azerbaijan. Based on a presence of a stone chalice, with a zoomorphic handle, the grave is dated to the eight-seventh centuries B.C.E. The first anthropomorphic figure has no headgear and armed with a composite bow. The second one has a sharp-pointed headgear. In the lower part of its robe there is an appendage reminiscent of a tail. A parallel to this head dress and a robe with a tail originates from the frozen Scythian kurgan in the Verkh-Kal’dzhin-2 burial site in Altai. On all three belts the heads of the people are represented in the form of a bird’s head. The lack of a forehead is evident; the nose has the form of a beak. Artists creating these images were trying to stylistically show specific zoomorphic futures of the costumes. Here we evidence the junction of anthropomorphism and zoomorphism also recorded on the Scythian costumes from the frozen graves in Altai.

SPRUYT M. 2022. "Looking for Realism: Neo-Assyrian Horses Through the Prism of Reality"

Papers from the Institute of Archaeology 33(1), 2022

Neo-Assyrian reliefs have been studied as a coherent whole in number of publications, including the notable works by Pauline Albenda and Elena Cassin. Choosing the representation of equids, largely represented in the reliefs, and more precisely the depiction of their expressions, allows us to raise new questions. What was the essence of the relationship between humans and horses in the empire? Did neo-Assyrians really observe their stallions? Are the depictions of horses really accurate? In order to carry out this project, a comparative analysis method has been designed, using tools developed by veterinarians to help understand the animal’s expression (EquiFACS). It brings into perspective photographs of actual horses taken during etiopathy sessions and the representations within the reliefs. The main idea is to compare images of horses in stressful or painful context to neo-Assyrian stallions depicted in violent scenes, where they might express the same feelings. This research enhances our perception of the observation quality of the Neo-Assyrian artists themselves. For the present paper, only two reliefs from Ashurbanipal’s reign will be studied (BM 124858 and BM 124876). Now held in the British Museum, they bear specific representations of horses being harnessed, or in lion hunting scenes. Bulging eyes, ears pointed to the back, mouth wide open are signs expressing difficult emotions such as fear, distress or pain – emotions which can also be observed on real life horses. These characteristic signs reflect the subtlety and the ability of the Neo-Assyrian artists in their depictions of these animals – emblematic of the empire.

Brileva O. Bronze Anthropomorphic Sculpture of the Caucasus in the Late Bronze Age

Proceedings of the ICEA 2010 Tire 2ND International Congress of Eurasian Archaeology East Anatolian and Caucasian Bronze Age Cultures. Edited by A.Semih Güneri. 1 – 5 march 2010. Tire, İzmir, Türkiye, 2013

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